Parallel Lives | BBANGSAZ

E I G H T

M I N J I
—

When Haerin told me she needed something from the store and couldn't leave because she was baking cookies—and because she doesn't trust me in the kitchen (smart choice)—I hadn't expected to see Hanni Pham sitting cross-legged under a tree. I stopped immediately. After looking for her all over the school, she was right there. The rays of sunlight shone on her face, making her glow. I had to take a moment to ask myself if she was real, to be honest, because she looked like an extension of the sun.

I had my opportunity right there, and I took it. I apologized to her, and now I've been waiting for her to text me since yesterday—twenty-five hours waiting, but who's counting? I know she's busy. She looked extremely tired when I saw her, like she wanted nothing more than to lay on her bed and sleep, but she said she had to go to the gym—which was weird, but she probably has a routine she has to follow, so I said nothing, gave her my number, and left. And I've been waiting since then.

Waiting can be exhausting, even more so when you're not used to being on your phone all the time. I turned off the Do Not Disturb mode, and it's the fourth time it rings, making me jump, thinking it's her, but it's not. My mom's been asking for money again, and I've been avoiding her—again. I'm on my double shift right now because I need money. I had one class today, and when I asked Sam if I could take a double shift, he happily agreed. My mom's messages burn me alive every time I read them. She keeps sucking my life away, leaving me with nothing, and my heart is very tired of it.

"I'm closing today. You can go home if you want," Haerin says, laying her elbows on the counter, looking as bored as I feel.

Fridays are our most boring days. Students choose nightclubs and alcohol instead of cheap burgers and sodas. Just an old couple and a girl who seems like she's studying are here right now, and none of them are at my tables; they're all Haerin's. I could leave right now—my shift ended like forty minutes ago, and Isa, Sullyoon, and even Sam have already left—but where would I go if I leave? Dani is at home with her family, Haerin's here, my brother is back in the States, and I'm... alone. I'd rather be here, with her, than in my tiny dorm with my own thoughts, waiting for a text from a girl I don't even know. God, I'm pathetic.

"I'll just stay here," I say, taking a seat at one of the tables. "Just let me know if you need help."

Haerin narrows her eyes at me and nods. "You're the only person who wants to hang out at her own job."

A small chuckle leaves my lips. "I'm not hanging out; I'm working."

"Your shift ended an hour ago."

I roll my eyes. "I'm waiting for you. It's dark and cold outside."

She hums, raising her brows. "I love you too, Minji."

I cringe, wrinkling my nose. "I never said that."

She laughs, just in time to see the girl from one of the tables calling her. "You didn't have to!"

She disappears from my view, and I grab my phone to see if I have any new messages. It's ridiculous how much I want someone I don't even know to text me. My mind goes back to our conversation, and a sigh leaves my body when I remember she said she was busy on Fridays. Maybe that's why she hasn't texted. An urge to know more about her life takes over me. What is the life of a professional ballerina with even more famous parents like?

I remember her saying her mom is a music producer. My fingers move faster than my brain as I search for the name of her mom on Google.

Pictures of a brunette woman with brown eyes stare at me like I'm doing something wrong. The entire world knows who Karina Pham is, but I have no idea what her wife's name is. I scroll down, reading her most recent news like she opened her own ice center, pictures of her family just existing—which makes me kind of sad—and then I'm hit with the information I was looking for.